Randy Smith
Even though Tennessee can name their score against Western Carolina at Neyland Stadium, there are still some really big SEC games on the docket for this week.
Ole Miss @ Alabama:
Ole Miss has scored 73 points in each game so far, winning easily over U.T. Martin and Fresno State. The competition level goes up a lot this week and not even the biggest Ole Miss fans in the world can logically expect an offensive outburst like that against the second ranked Crimson Tide. Alabama struggled a bit in last week's 35-7 win over MTSU, but still came away a big winner.
Alabama is looking to avenge the Tides' only regular season loss of 2014 this week, and they should be able to get it.
Alabama 27 Ole Miss 21
Texas Tech @ Arkansas:
SEC fans are still shaking their heads over Toledo's upset of the Razorbacks last weekend. The Hogs are at a crossroads and if they stumble against Texas Tech again this week, it will be very hard to straighten things out the rest of the season. I believe Coach Bret Bielema has a firm grip and will have his team ready to play. Was Toledo's win last week a fluke? It probably was.
Arkansas 34 Texas Tech 20
Auburn @ LSU:
By all rights, Auburn should have lost last week to Jacksonville State, instead of winning in overtime. Auburn has still not played a complete game , though the Tigers are 2-0. It will take a supreme effort to beat the Bengal Tigers in Baton Rouge because LSU looked awesome in winning at Mississippi State, and it appears that Coach Les Miles has more offensive weapons than was first thought. If Auburn comes to play, this could be a classic SEC battle.
LSU 28 Auburn 24
Florida @ Kentucky:
Boy, this one is a tough one to call. The Wildcats should have beaten the Gators last year in the "Swamp" but the Lizards prevailed in overtime. The Cat's upset win at South Carolina has already given them a quality SEC road win in 2015, and Kentucky will be tough for anyone to beat in Lexington. The Gators looked less than mediocre in winning 31-24 at home against East Carolina last week, and look what a Kentucky win would do for their program; it would put them at 2-0 to start the SEC season, with wins over quality teams. By golly I believe I'll do it!
Kentucky 34 Florida 31
South Carolina @ Georgia:
The Bulldogs won at Vanderbilt last week but it was nothing really great. While Georgia was winning in Nashville, South Carolina losing to Kentucky. It seems that Coach Steve Spurrier has decided to change quarterbacks this week to spark the teams' offense. Georgia has super running back Nick Chubb which will be enough to beat most anyone. If he is enough to beat the Gamecocks, only time will tell. For Georgia's sake, they should be glad the game is in Athens and not Columbia.
Georgia 30 South Carolina 21.
Northwestern State @ Mississippi State:
Coach Dan Mullen's Bulldogs lost a tough one at home last week to LSU, and MSU doesn't play another SEC game until they play at Auburn next week. Unless the Bullies play with their eyes closed, this one should be a cake walk.
Mississippi State 49 Northwestern State 10
UConn @ Missouri:
The Tigers cupcake walk continues. After facing SE Missouri State and Arkansas State they now host the UConn Huskies in Columbia. Over the first two seasons, Mizzou hasn't won a lot of games in lovely fashion. They have won however, as the two-time defending SEC East champions seem to get stronger as the season goes along. This one against the Huskies should not be a problem.
Missouri 33 UConn 14
Western Carolina @ Tennessee:
While U.T. fans are still heartbroken about the overtime loss to Oklahoma last weekend, the Vols themselves should be getting angry; angry they lost and even angrier they let the Sooners slip away. I do believe Oklahoma is better than Florida, which may or may not bode well for Tennessee's visit to the "Swamp" next week. Both are a lot better than Western Carolina.
Tennessee 55 Western Carolina 7
Nevada @ Texas A&M:
The Aggies are off to a good start at 2-0, but they won't play their first SEC game until next week when they face Arkansas in Arlington, Texas. This week Nevada comes to College Station and very few bets are being placed on Nevada in this one. In a rout............
Texas A&M 52 Nevada 14.
Austin Peay @ Vanderbilt:
The Commodores are 0-2 to start the season following a home loss to Georgia last week. The competition level goes way down for Vandy this week as they host the Governors of Austin Peay. The Black and Gold is a big favorite to beat the Govs, but things will change drastically next week when Vandy travels to Ole Miss.
Vanderbilt 38 Austin Peay 0
Last Week: 8-3
Year to date: 22-3
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Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee.